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All Heath Ledger Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
When director Brian Helgeland and Columbia Pictures introduced the world to A Knight’s Tale in 2001, audiences fell in love with the movie’s tone and heart, its storyline, and, of course, the characters, one being the iconic Heath Ledger. At the time, fans wrote the beloved late actor “proves himself as a leading man,” and they touted his tenderness and goofy personality. On May 11, A Knight’s Tale celebrates 25 years, and despite its Rotten score, critics praised Ledger for his role as a likable, vulnerable hero: “Put your brain on pause, and Heath will, Heath will rock you!” Meanwhile, audiences agree the movie — and the jousting — remains a whole lot of fun even decades later.
Viewers first fell in love with Ledger after he starred alongside Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You and delivered that memorable bleacher scene back in 1999. Ledger would go on to star in a slew of Rotten to Certified Fresh films, including The Patriot, Monster’s Ball, and The Brothers Grimm, but it was Brokeback Mountain, in which he played beleaguered bisexual cowboy Ennis Del Mar, that earned him his first Oscar nomination. Ledger may not have taken home the win, but he won over critics and audiences with his emotional performance.
Ledger died in January 2008, months before The Dark Knight, the second film in the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman franchise, premiered. The actor’s career-defining performance as the anarchist Joker blew audiences away and continues to rank as one of the most memorable movie performances to this day. Ledger would go on to posthumously win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
As fans take a moment to celebrate the anniversary of A Knight’s Tale, we’ve compiled this list of 16 films starring Heath Ledger and ranked them by Tomatometer. See where it ranks, and be sure to check out the movie on Fandango at Home.
#1
The Dark Knight (2008)
Critics Consensus: Dark, complex, and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
Synopsis: With the help of allies, Lt. Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, Batman is able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
#2
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Critics Consensus: A beautiful, epic Western, Brokeback Mountain’s love story is imbued with heartbreaking universality thanks to moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Synopsis: In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris
Directed By: Ang Lee
#3
Monster's Ball (2001)
Critics Consensus: Somber and thought provoking, Monster’s Ball has great performances all around.
Synopsis: Hank, an embittered racist prison guard working on death row, begins an unlikely, emotionally charged sexual relationship with Leticia, a Black woman and wife of… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle
Directed By: Marc Forster
#4
I'm Not There (2007)
Critics Consensus: I’m Not There‘s unique editing, visuals, and multiple talented actors portraying Bob Dylan make for a deliciously unconventional experience. Each segment brings a new and fresh take on Dylan’s life.
Synopsis: Several actors portray legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan at different stages in his personal life and career. In 1959 a guitar-strumming youth (Marcus Carl Franklin) rides… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere
Directed By: Todd Haynes
#5
Two Hands (1999)
Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old strip club promoter Jimmy is just scraping by in the red-light district of Sydney. When local crime lord Pando offers him a shot at… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne, Bryan Brown, David Field
Directed By: Gregor Jordan
#6
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Critics Consensus: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger add strong performances to an unexpectedly clever script, elevating 10 Things (slightly) above typical teen fare.
Synopsis: Kat Stratford is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik
Directed By: Gil Junger
#7
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Critics Consensus: Terry Gilliam remains as indulgent as ever, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus represents a return to the intoxicatingly imaginative, darkly beautiful power of his earlier work, with fine performances to match all the visual spectacle.
Synopsis: Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), the leader of a traveling show, has a dark secret. Thousands of years ago he traded the soul of his daughter,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
#8
The Patriot (2000)
Critics Consensus: The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.
Synopsis: Mel Gibson portrays Benjamin Martin, an unassuming man who is forced to join the American Revolution when the British threaten to take his farm away… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs
Directed By: Roland Emmerich
#9
A Knight's Tale (2001)
Critics Consensus: Once you get past the anachronism, A Knight’s Tale becomes a predictable, if spirited, Rocky on horseback.
Synopsis: Peasant-born William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) begins a quest to change his stars, win the heart of an exceedingly fair maiden (Shanynn Sossamon) and rock his… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany
Directed By: Brian Helgeland
#10
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Critics Consensus: Lords of Dogtown, while slickly made and edited, lacks the depth and entertaining value of the far superior documentary on the same subject, Dogtown and Z-Boys.
Synopsis: A drought in the 1970s Southern California has an unexpected side effect: as people empty their swimming pools, a group of teen surfers from the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Michael Angarano
Directed By: Catherine Hardwicke
#11
Ned Kelly (2003)
Critics Consensus: More depth about the legendary outlaw would be welcome, but as it is, Ned Kelly is a reasonably entertaining Western.
Synopsis: In the face of various underhanded maneuvers by local authorities, 19th century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly flees to the outback with his brother, Dan, and… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, Geoffrey Rush
Directed By: Gregor Jordan
#12
Candy (2006)
Critics Consensus: Stars Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish look better than they should as heroin addicts, and their characters are too absorbed and self-pitying to be totally compelling.
Synopsis: A fatherly chemistry professor (Geoffrey Rush) indulges two young lovers (Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish) in their ever-increasing heroin habits. Eventually the pair, an artist named… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush, Tony Martin
Directed By: Neil Armfield
#13
Casanova (2005)
Critics Consensus: This frothy, oddly bloodless film does a disservice to the colorful life of the real Casanova.
Synopsis: With a reputation for seducing members of the opposite sex, regardless of their marital status, a notorious womanizer discovers a beauty who seems impervious to… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt
Directed By: Lasse Hallström
#14
The Four Feathers (2002)
Critics Consensus: Though beautiful to look at, The Four Feathers lacks epic excitement and suffers from an ambivalent viewpoint.
Synopsis: The story, set in 1875, follows a British officer (Heath Ledger) who resigns his post when he learns of his regiment’s plan to ship out… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson, Djimon Hounsou
Directed By: Shekhar Kapur
#15
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Critics Consensus: The Brothers Grimm is full of beautiful imagery, but the story is labored and less than enchanting.
Synopsis: The Brothers Grimm, Wilhelm and Jacob, are dysfunctional schemers who go from town to town putting on shows that convince inhabitants they are getting rid… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Peter Stormare, Lena Headey
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
#16
The Order (2003)
Critics Consensus: A religious thriller that’s more lethargic and silly than thrilling.
Synopsis: For centuries, a secret Order has existed within the Church. Following a series of unexplained murders, a renegade priest (Heath Ledger) begins an investigation that… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Benno Fürmann, Mark Addy
Directed By: Brian Helgeland
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